Free Love By Accident - An Introduction by Elizabeth Lennox Page B

as his ager came, Isla saw his face clear up and he smiled down at her.  “It’s nothing.  I just thought of something I need to discuss with dad.”  He squeezed her hand to reassure her.  “I promise, it’s nothing I can’t take care of.”
    Isla smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.  He was right.  Rashid could do anything and if he had trouble, father was always there to advise him.  She sometimes became irritated with their discussions because they were always filled with boring talk of politics and money or buildings.  That was so boring!  But they liked it, so she tried very hard to keep quiet when they were intently arguing their side during a conversation. 
    Rashid pulled her along again and they were walking as quickly as possible towards the area where the palace hospital was located.  The closer they got, the more concerned she became. 
    At the hospital room door, he looked down at her with an eager expression, then shoved open the door to allow her entrance. 
    Isla looked inside the room and saw her mother and father.  “Mother, why are you in here?” she asked, more than a little worried because everything looked strange here.  The bed wasn’t comfortable like the one at the palace, and the people all were wearing strange clothes, very plain and dull.  
    She peered over the high bed, ignoring her mother and father’s huge grins.  Something was wiggling and she wanted to see.  “What’s that?” she asked as she noticed the baby.  “It looks like a baby.  Is that what was in your tummy?” she asked curiously. 
    Lila laughed and nodded her head.  Patting the side of the bed, she encouraged her daughter to get a better look.  Rashid came over and lifted his little sister up high.  “Isn’t she pretty?” her mother asked, her long, tapered finger running down the chubby cheek of the newborn. 
    Isla looked down, wondering what it was her mother and father saw in the baby.  “She looks squished,” she replied. 
    Lila looked at her husband and they both laughed. 
    “She’ll get pretty, just like you,” Majid said and took his daughter out of his son’s arms.  “Go ahead and hold her, Rashid.  You never held Isla when she was a baby so this is your chance.” 
    Majid came over and lifted Isla into Rashid’s arms, not giving him an excuse to avoid holding his newest baby sister.  He then reached down and picked up Isla, wanting her to see the new baby as well. 
    Isla giggled as her father nuzzled her neck, but she watched with rapt attention as her fabulous brother gently held the tiny bundle that had been their mother’s arms.  His face slowly changed from wariness to fascination as the tiny bundle opened her eyes and looked up at him. 
    Rashid looked down at the tiny infant, amazed that such a small human could actually survive.  “She’ s so small!” he gasped.
    Majid tickled his daughter.  “Your brother was that size once,” he said and laughed again at her disbelieving expression.  “I have pictures,” he said.
    Isla looked from her giant father, to her huge brother and shook her head, crinkling up her nose.  “Na ah,” she argued.  “Rashid was never a baby.”
    Rashid just rolled his eyes and handed the infant back to his mother.  “I’ve received word back,” he said, his tone ominous and he looked carefully at his little sister.  “I’ve decided to accept Harvard’s offer.  I think they’re the best school for business, which is what I think I should study for Tasain’s future.”
    Isla didn’t understand what he was talking about.  “What’s Harvard?  And what did they offer you?”
    Rashid’s father pumped up with pride.  “I know you’ll do very well there, son.”
    Isla didn’t like where this was going.  Something was happening and she was instantly nervous.  Her little arm went around her father’s neck, holding him tighter because her father always protected her from bad things, even scaring away the